BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Environmental Assessment Appendix A Technical Report Purpose and Need September 2019 Purpose and Need Technical Report CONTENTS METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................. 1-iii 1. Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1. Project Description ............................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1.1. Project Location ........................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1.2. Project Setting ........................................................................................................................... 1-3 1.1.3. Regional Transit System ........................................................................................................... 1-5 1.2. Project Background ........................................................................................................... 1-8 1.2.1. Policy Direction and Prior Planning ........................................................................................... 1-8 1.2.2. Environmental Review Process ................................................................................................ 1-9 1.3. Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................ 1-10 1.3.1. Project Purpose ....................................................................................................................... 1-10 1.3.2. Project Need............................................................................................................................ 1-10 1.4. Goals and Objectives ....................................................................................................... 1-34 TABLES Table 1.1-1: Transitways with Connections to the Project Area ............................................................................. 1-7 Table 1.3-1: Existing Transit Service Characteristics ........................................................................................... 1-11 Table 1.3-2: Existing and Future Population ........................................................................................................ 1-21 Table 1.3-3: Existing and Future Employment ..................................................................................................... 1-23 Table 1.3-4: Vehicle Ownership and Income in the Project Area Communities .................................................. 1-26 Table 1.3-5: County Plans for Growth and Transportation ................................................................................... 1-29 Table 1.3-6: Community Local Plans for Growth and Transportation .................................................................. 1-31 Table 1.4-1: Project Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................................... 1-34 SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-i Purpose and Need Technical Report CONTENTS METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project FIGURES Figure 1.1-1: METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project ................................................................................... 1-2 Figure 1.1-2: Project Area and Activity Centers ..................................................................................................... 1-4 Figure 1.1-3: Regional Transitway System ............................................................................................................ 1-6 Figure 1.2-1: Previous Relevant Studies and Plans in the Project Area ................................................................ 1-8 Figure 1.3-1: Existing Transit Service and Facilities (Twin Cities Metropolitan Area System) ............................. 1-14 Figure 1.3-2: Midday Transit Frequency (Twin Cities Metropolitan Area System) ............................................... 1-15 Figure 1.3-3: 2017 Metro Freeway Congestion (Daily) ........................................................................................ 1-18 Figure 1.3-4: Percent Change in Average Daily Traffica – Existing to 2040 ......................................................... 1-19 Figure 1.3-5: 2010-2040 Population Growth in the Project Area ......................................................................... 1-22 Figure 1.3-6: 2010-2040 Employment Growth in the Project Area ...................................................................... 1-24 Figure 1.3-7: Zero-Vehicle Households in the Project Area Communities ........................................................... 1-27 SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-ii Purpose and Need Technical Report ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 2040 TPP (2018 Update) 2040 Transportation Policy Plan (2018 Update) BRT Bus Rapid Transit Council Metropolitan Council CSAH County State Aid Highway EA Environmental Assessment EB Eastbound EAW Environmental Assessment Worksheet FTA Federal Transit Administration I- Interstate LRT Light Rail Transit MEPA Minnesota Environmental Policy Act MnDOT Minnesota Department of Transportation NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NB Northbound Project METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project RCRRA Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority SB Southbound TH Trunk Highway TOD Transit-Oriented Development USC U.S. Code vpd Vehicles per Day WB Westbound SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-iii Purpose and Need Technical Report ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project Page left intentionally blank. SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-iv Purpose and Need Technical Report PROJECT DESCRIPTION METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project 1. PURPOSE AND NEED This report describes the location and setting of the METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project (Project), the purpose of the Project, the needs driving the study of the Project, and the parameters the Metropolitan Council (Council) used to evaluate the Project. This report also provides an overview of previous planning studies and the environmental review process. 1.1. Project Description 1.1.1. Project Location The Project is a planned 9- to 10-mile transitway located in Ramsey and Washington counties in the eastern part of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (see Figure 1.1-1). The Project generally would operate parallel to Interstate 94 (I-94) and would better connect downtown Saint Paul with the suburban cities of Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury. More broadly, the Project would better connect the eastern Twin Cities Metropolitan Area to the regional transit network via the Union Depot multimodal hub in downtown Saint Paul. The Project also intends to serve and draw ridership from other portions of the metropolitan area, including portions of eastern Washington County, Dakota County to the south, and the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County to the west. While the intended service area for the Project is larger, the documentation of the Project purpose and need focuses on those communities the Project expects to serve most directly: the communities within 2 miles of the proposed Build Alternatives. These are either communities in which the Project is physically located (Saint Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury) or a community within 2 miles of the proposed alignment (Lake Elmo). Together, these communities make up the Project area discussed below. SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-1 Purpose and Need Technical Report PROJECT DESCRIPTION METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project FIGURE 1.1-1: METRO GOLD LINE BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-2 Purpose and Need Technical Report PROJECT DESCRIPTION METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project 1.1.2. Project Setting The character of the Project area changes from an urban setting in downtown and the east side of Saint Paul to a transitional suburban setting as it extends further east. The Project area includes a wide range of land uses including single-family, multifamily and mixed use residential; retail and other commercial; office; mixed use commercial; industrial; utility; parks; and undeveloped areas. Low-density, auto-oriented land uses heavily influenced much of the area’s existing development patterns, which primarily reflect highway-oriented regulations and traditional suburban development forms. The communities within the Project area include several key activity centers located along I-94 including downtown Saint Paul, Union Depot, Metro State University, the White Bear Avenue commercial area, Sun Ray Shopping Center, 3M campus, The Oaks Business Park, Tamarack Hills, 500 Bielenberg, and the Tamarack and Woodbury Villages (see Figure 1.1-2). This report defines key activity centers as employment, education and shopping destinations. Key transportation facilities in the Project area include the I-94 corridor, Saint Paul Downtown Airport shown in Figure 1.1-1, the regional transitway system shown in Figure 1.1-3, and multiple freight railways. SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-3 Purpose and Need Technical Report PROJECT DESCRIPTION METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project FIGURE 1.1-2: PROJECT AREA AND ACTIVITY CENTERS SEPTEMBER 2019 A1-4 Purpose and Need Technical Report PROJECT DESCRIPTION METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Project 1.1.3. Regional Transit System A mix of local and express bus